Aircraft pilots and air traffic controllers (SOC 3511) qualifies for UK Skilled Worker visa sponsorship. Your employer must pay at least the going rate of £80,400 per year. Scroll down for salary benchmarks, the visa rules, and live jobs from licensed sponsors.
Aircraft pilots and air traffic controllers navigate and pilot aircraft, prepare flight plans, authorise flight departures and arrivals, maintain radio, radar and/or visual contact with aircraft to ensure the safe movement of air traffic, check, regulate, adjust and test engines and other equipment prior to take-off and give flying lessons.
Entrants with GCSEs/S grades and A levels/H grades, a BTEC/ SQA award or equivalent qualification can apply for an airline sponsorship. Private residential training as a pilot is available to candidates with GCSEs/S grades or appropriate BTEC/SQA or other certificates/diplomas or to holders of Private Pilots Licences who have 700 hours flying experience. Training lasts up to 15 months and consists of courses of study and flying instruction. Airlines may have additional age and height requirements. Air traffic controllers training lasts 74 weeks including study and practical experience. Entrants must be 18 to hold a Student Licence and 21 for a full air traffic controller licence awarded by the Civil Aviation Authority. Normal colour vision is required for pilots and air traffic controllers and candidates also undergo a medical examination.
UK market salary · ASHE 2025
How visa salary requirements compare to what employers pay.
Most aircraft pilots and air traffic controllers in the UK earn between £65,104 and ~£110,968 in basic pay. For Skilled Worker visa holders, the minimum salary (going rate) for this role is £80,400 (SOC 3511), sitting at the 42nd percentile of what UK employers pay and £7,636 below the median.
All figures are before tax. Calculate your take-home pay.
Browse our register of UK companies with an active sponsor licence. Filter by industry, size, sponsor rating, and whether they're currently hiring aircraft pilots and air traffic controllers, so you only apply where a visa is actually on the table.
Browse licensed sponsorsYour employer must pay whichever is higher: the going rate for SOC 3511 (£80,400) or the general Skilled Worker threshold of £41,700 per year.
New entrants and ISL roles may qualify for a lower rate. See the New entrant & discount rates section below.
Your sponsor issues a Certificate of Sponsorship (CoS), a reference number the Home Office uses to check the job offer, salary, and duties line up with an eligible SOC code.
Submit the Skilled Worker visa application online within 3 months of your CoS assignment date. You'll also book a biometric appointment and pay the immigration health surcharge.
Apply on gov.ukTravel to the UK before your CoS start date and begin working for the sponsor named on the certificate.
If you're under 26, switching from a Student visa, or a recent UK graduate, your employer can pay the new entrant rate of £64,100 (70% of the going rate) for up to four years.
Other Skilled Worker-eligible roles in the same SOC minor group (351xx):
Yes. Aircraft pilots and air traffic controllers roles fall under SOC 3511 (Higher Skilled), so they qualify for Skilled Worker visa sponsorship. Your employer will need a sponsor licence and must pay at least the going rate for this occupation.
The going rate for Aircraft pilots and air traffic controllers (SOC 3511) is £80,400 (£41.23 per hour). Occupation rate applies. Your employer must pay whichever is higher: this going rate or the general Skilled Worker threshold of £41,700 per year.
SOC 3511 covers a range of aircraft pilots and air traffic controllers roles, including: Airline pilots, Air traffic controllers, Flying instructors, Helicopter pilots, Aircraft pilots and air traffic controllers not elsewhere classified.. Keep in mind that the Home Office matches jobs by duties rather than title alone. Two roles with the same title can fall under different SOC codes depending on the actual work involved.
Yes. If you're under 26, a recent graduate, or switching from a Student visa, you count as a "new entrant" and your employer only needs to pay 70% of the going rate (with an absolute floor of £33,400/year — the new-entrant minimum cannot go below that). For Aircraft pilots and air traffic controllers, that works out to £64,100. The discount lasts up to four years.
We list Aircraft pilots and air traffic controllers roles from companies with a Home Office sponsor licence. Scroll down to see what's currently open, or search our full jobs database for more visa-sponsored positions across the UK.
This information is provided as guidance only and should not be treated as legal advice. Eligibility criteria and salary thresholds are based on the latest published government data. Always verify with the official UK government guidance or seek professional immigration advice.